Embodiments of the invention relate generally to wind turbines, and more particularly to systems and methods involving wind turbine towers for power applications.
In this regard, wind turbines include a supporting structure or tower that is secured to the ground or other surface by a base and supports various components of large size and weight, such as a turbine rotor, a generator, and a housing (or “nacelle”). During operation, the combination of the force of the wind and the weight and swaying motion (or oscillation) of the tower and the supported components causes a bending force or torque load on the tower base that is monitored to avoid overloading the base for safe and proper operation of the wind turbine. For example, if the tower base torque load is detected as reaching a maximum limit, the wind turbine operation can be modified or shut down by adjusting one or more operating characteristics. However, the tower base torque load can be complex to determine, for example, through the use of numerous strain gauges and other devices to monitor the wind turbine and estimate the torque load. Thus, a less complex approach to determine the tower base torque load is desirable.